StatsCan proposes, God disposes

Explaining the ways of God to man may not be nearly as
confusing as explaining the ways of God to Statistics
Canada. This week the federal data-gathering agency
released a study that seemed to show godliness
reinforces marriages.

Specifically, people who attended religious services at
least once a week were significantly more likely to: (1)
think marriage is essential to happiness; (2) stay
married longer; (3) be happier in marriage than people
whose religious attendances were sporadic or
nonexistent.

But how exactly does a religious life shore up marriage?
"With this kind of study, we cannot establish a
cause-and-effect relationship," said Warren Clark, the
analyst who produced the Statscan study. Indeed, Alan
Mirabelli, of the Vanier Institute for the Family,
interpreted the findings as meaning it wasn't the power
of faith but the family social-support component of
organized religions that was being measured.

Reasonable. But even the mighty Statistics Canada has
limits, especially when it comes to measuring the effect
of God on man. Could a mere mortals' survey determine
how "the spirit of the Lord" would affect married life?
Or, more to the point, can we ever prove that God does
bless the marriages of those who believe?

This presents us with a modern metaphysical problem.
Numbers are iconic in our age. Statistics elevate social
trends from the anecdotal to the general. But we can
only measure what is measurable. If something is of the
spirit, apparently it can't be quantified.

But just because statisticians can't poll for it, doesn't
mean the spirit isn't there. The life of religious
people may be different not because they follow certain
rules and consort with similar thinking people, but
because being religious changes you. Religion makes
marriage, for lack of a better word, holy.

We don't say this is so, but lacking any evidence to the
contrary, we entertain the prospect that what makes
godly people's unions truly different is the blessings
of their God.